The End As We Know It
by heart496
Summary: "Was this how it would end for us? After all, we can run and hide all we want but this is still the end of the world." Bella and other survivors must seek refuge from the growing horde of undead.
1. Chapter 1: The Beginning of the End

**A/N: Ladies and gentlemen, this is what happens when you stay up all night watching zombie flicks. I noticed that there are no stories like this and I really wanted one out there.**

**By the way, these are not your old-fashioned zombies either...my bitches can haul ass.**

**Lots of violence and blood coming up, people!**

The End As We Know It

Chapter 1: The Beginning of the End

_**Bella**_

I woke up to my alarm clock blaring in my ears. I groaned and rolled over, slamming my fist on top of the clock to get it to stop beeping. The time was six-thirty. I barely got any sleep last night because I had to stay late at the hospital and help with all of the people who came in with bite wounds.

Apparently there is some sort of animal going around and biting people. The people were so damaged that they were unconscious and unable to answer questions, except for one, who kept saying the world was ending...whatever. When I left, one of the bite victims was dying. He had been bitten on the neck and the damage was too severe to be fixed.

I sat up in my bed and rolled over so my feet were hanging off the side. I stood up and stretched, wincing at the pain it caused in my back.

I walked into my bathroom and took my usual twenty-minute shower, blow-dried and brushed my hair, and put on my scrubs, ready to work another long shift at the hospital. I was a nurse at Seattle General. It was a dirty job, but it had to be done.

I walked down the hallway and turned into my kitchen. I opened the cupboard and pulled out the box of Cheerios. I got the milk and fixed my bowl of cereal.

I walked into the living room, cereal in hand, and sat down on the couch. I picked up the remote and turned it to CNN, just like I did every morning for the last three years. I didn't even look up at the TV as I began to eat my cereal.

It was always the same thing on the news, drive-by shooting kills a teenager, the president makes some sort of speech, someone goes missing or someone turns up. That is why when I heard the news report today, I was taken by surprise.

"_You have to destroy the brain."_ The newscaster said. _"It is vital in killing the creature."_ I picked up the remote and changed the channel to MSNBC mumbling to myself about rabid coyotes terrorizing people. When I looked at the screen, it was the same thing.

"_If you are bitten, there is no known cure. You will become one of them."_ The reporter speaking was standing in the middle of what looked like a parking lot. _"People have been saying the world is coming to an end. The dead have risen and we must fight."_ What the fuck did he just say? I kept watching the screen, trying to figure out what was going on when a person walked up behind the reporter. He was making odd noises and blood was covering his face. He was hurt!

"_There seems to be-SHIT! Where's the gun. FUCK! Get it." BANG! "You missed it get it!" BANG! "HURRY!" BANG!_ A bullet went through the mans arm but he didn't stop walking towards the reporter. I watched in horror as the man reached out to the reporter and...OH MY GOD!_ "AHHHH! STOP!" BANG! BANG! BANG!_

I turned my head away quickly, not believing my eyes. That man...that thing just bit into that reporter. I could still hear the screams and I quickly picked up the remote and turned off the television.

I sat in a stunned silence not sure of what to do. That had to be a joke...right? I turned my head to the left and stared at the window. The blinds were closed and I couldn't see what was going on outside.

_BANG!_ A loud noise echoed through the air, causing me to leap up and spill my bowl of cereal all over the floor. I quickly ran up to the window and pulled back the curtain and saw...nothing. Well, not nothing exactly, my neighbor was sitting outside on his porch smoking a cigarette and staring off into space. It must have just been an engine back-firing. I closed the curtains and walked over to the table and grabbed my car keys, ready to head to work.

I opened my front door and turned back around to lock it before walking to my Mitsubishi Galant that was waiting in the driveway. I noticed that my neighbor had went back inside.

I put the key into the lock and began to turn it when I heard an odd noise that sounded like a choked growl. I slowly turned around only to come face to face with another person...or something. He looked pale, almost green. Blood was dripping from his mouth and his eyes were an odd orange color.

I barely had time to react before I was slammed up against my car, both of my hands wrapped around his neck. I used all my strength to try and push him off of me but to no avail. He was too strong. My arms were growing weaker by the second and I was now debating whether or not to just let him go when a loud gunshot rang through the air and the...thing fell to my feet.

I quickly jumped up on top of my car, afraid that the thing would come back to life. I closed my eyes and prayed to god, for the first time in years, to keep me safe.

"Are you bitten?" A masculine voice asked me. I slowly opened my eyes, only to come face to face with a double-barrel shotgun and my next-door neighbor.

"N-no..." I stuttered.

The man's eyes narrowed and he seemed to be looking me over.

"Lift up your sleeves and show me your neck." He said, not lowering his gun.

I slowly and shakily lifted up the sleeves of my shirt to reveal my un-injured skin. I pulled my hair up and showed him my neck, unsure of why he wanted to know.

I looked back at him and he lowered his gun.

"I'm sorry that I scared you but it had to be done," He smiled at me, "We need to get moving and now. Give me your keys." He held out his hand.

"W-what? I don't even know you!" I stammered. He may not be pointing the gun at me but I was still scared as hell.

"We need to get out of here. I know a safe place to go. Trust me." He thrust his hand forward slightly and I decided to just trust him. I handed him my keys and he held out his other hand to help me of my car.

I looked down at the dead body and shivered.

"He won't come back. He's dead. I got him in the head like I was supposed too." He chuckled. How he could laugh right now was beyond me. He walked me to the passenger side of my car and opened the door for me. I got in and watched as he walked around to the driver's side and started the car.

He backed out of the driveway and started speeding down the road.

"Where are we going?" I asked him.

His face instantly became serious. "We're going to get my wife. She works at the high school a few blocks away as a sub. She was working today and I'm going to go get her."

"O-okay. Um, what's your name?"

"Officer Emmett McCarty...or at least I used to be. Now I'm, Emmett McCarty, Zombie Killer." He chuckled. I looked at him like he was crazy.

"How are you finding all of this amusing?" I asked him.

"Well..." He paused, looking at me expectantly.

"Bella Swan." I said matter-of-factly.

"Well, Bella Swan. There are three things I could be doing right now. One, fight off the flesh-eating zombies and live. Two, run around screaming 'They're here! They're here!' and eventually go insane or three, become said zombie and kill everyone in sight. I think I'll go with the first one...you?" He looked at me and smiled.

"I'll stick with you, if you don't mind." I said to him. He nodded his head at me.

"Good choice, good choice."

**A/N: I do not know when I will be able to update again. I promise I will update and see this story to the end but I'm just not sure when that will be. **

**This story has been rusting away in my computer and I just had to post it. **

**Please review!**


	2. Chapter 2: Welcome To Hell

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any of its characters.**

**A/N: I finally got this chapter out! I am loving writing this story so I am taking my time in writing it. Rebellion is coming to an end so I will be able to focus on this story more.**

**This chapter introduces _most_ of the main characters.**

**So...we have our first human death in this chapter. A very minor one, but hey, it's still a death right?**

**Enjoy!**

The End As We Know It

Chapter 2: Welcome to Hell

Emmett pulled into the parking lot outside of the high school building. The undead had yet to take over completely, so we arrived at the school without incident.

"Stay here," Emmett said to me in a serious tone. I quickly nodded my head. This man had saved my life once and I would honestly do whatever he told me too.

Emmett stepped out the car, shotgun in hand, and walked to the passenger side of the car. He opened the door for me and quickly pulled me out.

"Stay in front of me at all times. We are going to run to the front doors of the building. Hopefully we won't encounter any dead guys," Emmett said seriously, "Now go!"

I took off, running towards the front doors, which were about ten yards away. I thought it would be easy since it wasn't _that_ far...but I thought wrong. Just as I was about to reach the front steps of the building, a zombie leaped out of a window in a nearby house and began charging towards me. I immediately froze on the steps and closed my eyes, waiting for the inevitable. Instead, I heard the cocking of the shotgun, a loud bang, and the sound of someone...or something collapsing to the ground.

"Let's go! Let's go!" Emmett began pushing me towards the building. I opened my eyes but avoided looking at the zombie, not wanting to see anything gruesome.

We reached the door to the school and I sighed in relief. A young woman was waiting by the door and when she saw us, she quickly opened the door and let us in before shutting and locking it.

I leaned against the wall and slid down to the floor, bringing my knees to my chest and wrapping my arms around my legs. I looked up at the woman and saw that she was in an embrace with Emmett and they were kissing intimately. This must be his wife.

After they finally had enough of each other, the woman turned to me and spoke.

"Hi, I'm Rosalie McCarty. You can call me Rose."

Rosalie was a very beautiful woman. She had light blonde hair and beautiful blue eyes. I stood up and extended my hand towards her.

"My name is Isabella Swan, but I go by Bella," she took my hand and shook it lightly.

"I wish we could have met under different circumstances," I gave her a sad smile, which she returned before turning to her husband, "Jasper called my cell-phone. He and Alice are on their way over with a few stragglers they met," noticing her husband tensing she added, "He checked them for bite wounds." Emmett relaxed, but only dismally.

"Anyways," Rose continued, "they are bringing a lot of wood to block the windows. Jasper said they had a trailer full of food. Apparently, when it is the end of the world, people tend to break into businesses and steal things. So Alice, being Alice, walked into a grocery store and started filling cart after cart with food and then just took it all!"

"So how many extra people are we talking about?" Emmett asked Rose.

"Well...let's see. She said there was her, Jasper, a guy named Jacob and his girlfriend Leah, they have some guns, a guy named Mike and his wife Jessica, a guy named Sam and his fiancée, Emily, a guy named Seth that has high powered rifles, a woman named Angela, and a guy named Edward that keeps pissing Jasper off but they took him anyways because he had food and guns," I honestly don't think Rosalie took one breath when she stated everyone that was coming here.

"Shit, that's a lot of people, Rosie," Emmett sounded annoyed.

"I know. I thought the same thing, but they are survivors like us and we can't leave them out there to die. You know that, don't you?"

"Yeah, I do." Emmett walked over to his wife and was about to give her a kiss when we heard people yelling to open the door.

I looked out the glass door and noticed a lot of people running towards the door with bags and bags full of food. I noticed that all the men in the group were carrying guns in one arm and wood in the other.

Rose opened the doors and quickly ushered everyone inside.

After everyone was inside, she started instructing everyone to follow her.

She began walking through the school and we soon found ourselves in the lunchroom. Luckily, the lunch room didn't have many windows and they were very small.

"Just to be safe, I want you to board up these windows," Rosalie said to the men. They immediately went to work.

"Is there anyone else in here?" A woman who looked to be of Indian descent asked Rose.

"Barely any students came to school today. Those that did were quickly sent back to their homes on a bus. Everyone left while I stayed and called Emmett and told him of my plan to stay and hide out here."

"Are we sure that this place is safe?" a dark-skinned man asked. He was looked Indian and he was holding the hand of a woman who also looked Indian.

"I'm sure it is," Rosalie replied, "We just have to block off every window and every door and I think we will be okay."

Everyone was silent for a few minutes as we all took in what was happening outside.

I noticed that one man was quietly talking on his cell-phone. He had bronze colored hair that was sticking up in all the right places. He looked angry yet fearful as he spoke quickly into the phone. I continued staring at him until Emmett finally broke the silence.

"Every guy in here is going to help barricade the building. The women are going to search the building for supplies we can use. We'll all split up into two's or three's and one person in the group will carry a gun," Emmett spoke up.

We all split up into groups. I was in a group with Rose and a small woman with spiky hair, whose name I learned was Alice.

We were walking down a long hallway lined with lockers. I couldn't get rid of the uneasy feeling in my stomach...then again, I had felt uneasy ever since I stepped foot outside of my house.

Alice had been given the handgun to carry since she knew how to handle and aim a gun, thanks to her fiancée Jasper, who I learned was ex-military.

"Where should we look first?" Alice asked us.

"We could go upstairs and start searching through the classrooms," Rosalie spoke, "I know that some teachers would leave snacks in their desks and we could always use more food."

"Okay, that sounds like a plan," Alice said excitedly. "We can make it into a fun scavenger hunt!" She clapped her hands together as we all started walking upstairs.

"How can you be so happy when we are all witnessing the end of the world?" I asked her.

"We all have to remain positive in this situation," she gave me a wide smile before continuing, "at least_ I_ have to, anyway. I don't want to go insane being cramped up in this place."

"You mean to tell me that you _aren't _insane yet?" Rose jokingly asked Alice, causing Alice to laugh loudly.

"Very funny," Alice laughed but stopped abruptly. "Holy shit!"

Alice was staring straight ahead, her eyes wide with fear. The smile I had on my face was instantly wiped away. I followed Alice's eyes.

What I saw made bile rise up into my throat. A male zombie was feeding on what looked to be a school janitor in one of the classrooms.

"Shoot it," Rosalie whispered, "shoot it now."

Alice slowly raised the gun up and pointed it at the zombie, who was too occupied with its meal to realize what was going on.

Alice's once calm demeanor had completely disappeared and she was now fighting to keep the gun steady enough to hit the target.

"Don't miss, Alice," Rosalie whispered too loudly, "God dammit, don't you miss."

The zombie immediately turned his head towards us and let out a feral snarl.

One of us...it could have been me, screamed loudly and Alice began firing at the zombie that was now stalking towards us slowly, almost as if he was taunting us.

Alice fired shot after shot, hitting his shoulder, his leg, even his neck, but he kept coming towards us. He finally broke into a sprint and was diving at Rose when Alice finally hit her target, causing the zombie to fall to the floor with a loud thump.

I could hear footsteps coming towards us and we immediately began to panic. Alice raised the gun towards the sound, ready to shoot. _How many were there in here?_

"What's going on in-_holy shit_! Are you guys okay?" Emmett, Jasper and the bronze-haired man ran towards us. Emmett immediately went to Rosalie and began looking her over while Jasper ran to Alice and did the same. The other man walked over to the zombie and kicked its leg. I flinched, half expecting the thing to get back up and start coming after us again.

"Someone has a bad shot," the man joked.

"Come on, Edward. She was probably scared to death." Jasper defended Alice.

Edward. His name was Edward.

"H-how did he get in here?" Rose asked nobody in particular. When no one answered her, she continued.

"He killed Eric!" She pointed to the mutilated body lying in the middle of the classroom, "I just talked to him a few hours ago...I thought he left." Rosalie began sobbing into her hands.

"Shit!" Emmett yelled out, causing everyone to turn to him and stare at him worriedly.

"If you get bitten, you die and then come back as one of them. He," Emmett pointed to Eric, "is about to come back to life any minute now."

We all stared at the lifeless body, waiting for it to move.

Jasper took the gun that Alice was tightly clutching in her hands and pointed it at the body.

"Take the girls downstairs to cafeteria." No one moved, "NOW!" he yelled loudly, causing me to jump.

Emmett began pushing Alice and Rose out of the door while I quietly followed.

"What is going on, Emmett?" Alice asked him. Emmett didn't answer her, he just kept pushing her down the hallway.

"Oh my god! He's going to wait till that thing wakes up to kill it, isn't he?!" Alice was screaming at the top of her lungs and trying to turn around to go back to Jasper, but Emmett had an iron grip on her and wasn't letting go.

"Let me go! It could kill him." Alice screamed. Rosalie was crying and I went over to her and rubbed my hand up and down her back to comfort her.

We had just reached the bottom of the stairs when a loud shriek stopped us in our tracks. Seconds later, a gunshot rang through the air.

Everyone waited impatiently to hear a sound.

"Got him!" I heard Jasper yell. I couldn't help the relieved smile that spread across my face as I heard his words. I turned to see that everyone else was smiling as well, except for Edward, who looked emotionless.

"Let's go join the others. The guys are going to have to search the whole building so we don't have any more problems like this," Emmett said.

"Hey!" Jasper yelled from the classroom, "I need help in here. I need someone to help me get rid of the bodies."

Edward and Emmett looked at each other to see which one of them would go help.

"I'll go," Edward finally spoke up. He turned and started walking back to the classroom.

"Come on, girls. Let's go join everyone else." Emmett started leading us back towards the cafeteria.

"But we didn't get any supplies," Rose stated.

"No one is leaving the cafeteria until some of the guys search the whole building," Emmett replied, "Let's get to the cafeteria now."

**----------**

We had been sitting in the cafeteria for over 10 minutes now. Alice sitting on one of the chairs, bouncing her legs up and down impatiently. Rose was sitting next to her, chewing her fingernails. All the guys were busy boarding up the windows and doors, while the women I had yet to meet were either staring off into space or watching the men work. Everyone was in their own little world at the moment, including me.

I walked over the wall farthest from everybody and slid down to the floor, leaning against the wall. I brought my knees up to my stomach and rested my elbows on them, putting my face in my hands. I could feel the tears fighting to spill over but I tried to keep them at bay, failing miserably. I began sobbing into my hands, the water coating my palms while I kept asking why.

Why did this have to happen?

Why are we even trying to save ourselves when the world going to end regardless? Wouldn't it be easier to just give ourselves over now, so as to not prolong the inevitable?

We were all going to die and their was nothing, absolutely nothing we could do about it. I don't know how long I cried, but I could feel my eyes burning and I started to try and calm myself down. I raised my head and looked at everyone around me, noticing that almost everyone woman was now crying as well. I was about to stand up and walk to Rose and Alice when a thought crossed my mind, causing me to gasp loudly.

I reached into my pocket and pulled out my cell-phone, shaking my head at the fact that I had forgotten to call my parents. I opened my cell and pressed the number that had my mother, Renee, on speed-dial.

It rang three times before my mother answered.

"Bella?!" My mom sounded very worried. She obviously knew what was going on.

"It's me, mom," I replied. I could hear her sigh in relief.

"Thank god you are safe! Where are you?" She asked me.

"I'm at a school with other people. My neighbor saved me this morning and took me with him to the school where his wife works. Where are you?"

"Me and Phil are still at home, baby. I'm so glad you got out when you did. It is different in Florida. The virus hasn't even reached here yet. The National Guard here is preparing to quarantine people that are suspected to have it. They won't let anyone leave their house without an escort. People are talking as if it's the end of the world. I didn't believe it at first but we got a call from your father-"

"How is he?" I interrupted her. I heard her sigh loudly and I immediately began to panic.

"He said that Forks is mildly infested. He also said that the government has ordered any and all police officers in the United States to fight against the infected."

"What?!" I yelled loudly, causing everyone in the room to look at me, "NO! He can't! He just can't! How could they ask him to do that?! Have you seen those things, Mom? They are evil, pure evil! They run really fast and are incredibly strong. He can't..." I began to cry into my hands again while my mother tried to reassure me that everything would be okay.

"I want to go home," I cried. I knew I sounded like a little child in saying that, but I hadn't never spoken truer words. I wanted to go home. Not the home in Seattle that I had to abandon this morning, I wanted to go home to my mother and step-father Phil. I wanted to go back to the mundane life that I had complained about daily. I wanted to argue with my mom about me not doing the laundry, or her forgetting to feed the pet dog. I wanted my simple, boring life back. The saying, 'you don't know what you got till it's gone' has never been more true.

**A/N: Next chapter will bring two more people into the story that will be locked up in the school with everyone. Who could it be, I wonder? And who was Edward on the phone with? All will be answered in chapter 3!**

**Shout-outs to my awesome beta, Kaity/SpaceCase20, who kicks major ass! I love that you comment on my stories even though you read them before anyone else. It makes me smile!!**

**And to two awesome reviewers who made me laugh with their comments!**

**Zombie's Run This town--Awesome freakin' name!!!! Your comment you left on the prequel story made me laugh!**

**AllApologies451994--Yes, zombies do rule!!**

**Please leave a review!!**


	3. Chapter 3: Come Together

**Chapter Notes:**

So I have an outtake ready. It is in Jasper's POV and it is from the last chapter when he killed the zombie in the classroom. I will post it, but only if you are interested in it. I will probably have other outtakes written as well in other POV's, so just let me know if you want to see a certain part of the story from someone else's perspective and I will see what I can do.

This chapter introduces two more characters into the story.

Edward and Bella also have more interaction with each other.

**Enjoy!**

The End As We Know It

Chapter 3: Come Together

I don't know how long I sat on the cold floor and cried my eyes out. All I knew was that I had run out of tears.

"You do know that sitting on the floor crying isn't going to solve your problems, right?" I heard a velvet-like voice ask me. I was curled up on the floor quietly sobbing into the crook of my elbow. I lifted my head and came face-to-face with Edward.

"Shut up," I replied, "I just got off the phone with my mom and I can't get a hold of my dad."

"Maybe you should keep yourself occupied. Do something that will keep your mind off of what's going on outside." Edward stated. His voice was now calm and collected. He wasn't joking around or being an ass anymore.

"Nothing can take my mind off of this."

"What do you like to do during your free time?" he asked me. I thought about it for awhile. What _did_ I like to do? I rarely had free time since my job at the hospital was so demanding, but when I did have time to myself, I loved to cook and read.

"I don't know...I like to read a lot...and cook." I replied.

"Well," he looked down at the silver watch on his wrist, "It's almost noon. You could cook us all some lunch while the guys finish barricading everything up?"

Now normally, I would be offended by a guy blatantly telling me to go cook everyone lunch, but it actually didn't sound like such a bad idea when I thought about it. I had only been locked in here for a few hours, and already I was going insane, and I desperately needed something to clear my head, not to mention I was starving.

"Yeah, I could cook some lunch for everyone," I decided. Edward smiled at me and it almost left me breathless. It was the first time I had seen him smile and he was absolutely beautiful when he did. I must have been staring at him for too long because I was broken out of my trance by him clearing his throat. I noticed he was now smirking at me. _Crap_, he knew I was ogling him.

"Hmm?" was the only thing I could muster.

"I was saying that you could go talk to that girl, Alice. She brought some food with her."

"Oh, okay." I said. I turned and starting walking to where Alice was sitting with Jasper and Rose.

"Hey, Bella. What's up?" Rose asked as I approached them. Alice was sitting in Jasper's lap, holding on to him for dear life.

"Well, I was talking to Edward and he said that Alice had some food that I could cook. I love to cook and I wouldn't mind making something for all of us to eat."

"I put all the food in the freezers in the back of the kitchen area. Someone should stay with you at all times though," Alice spoke into Jasper's neck. Her voice sounded thick and it was obvious that she had been crying.

"I'll go with her," a voice spoke from behind me. I turned to see Edward staring at me.

"Uh, okay. Let's go to the kitchen," I spoke to Edward. I turned and started walking to the kitchen. Edward quickly caught up to me and stayed right beside me. As I went to reach for the door handle that led to the kitchen, a hand reached out and stopped me.

"Don't. Let me walk in first. We still haven't completely searched the building," Edward pulled out a handgun from his jacket and gently pushed me behind him before opening the door slowly. Once he had the door open, he motioned with his hand for me to follow him. He stepped into the doorway and I stayed as close as I could to him without actually touching him.

He flipped a switch that was near the door and the kitchen was instantly lit. Edward stood still for a few minutes and looked around the room before he finally let out a deep breath and walked forward, the gun still in his hand.

"Don't you think you are overreacting? I mean honestly, you act like something is going to jump out and attack us. Well...wait. Something actually could jump out at us and-" he abruptly stopped walking and I slammed into his back.

"What the he-" I went to yell but I was quickly silenced when Edward turned around and put his hand over my mouth.

"Can you shut up for two seconds?!" He spoke loudly while glaring at me. He had the most mesmerizing green eyes I have ever seen!

I pushed Edward's hand off of my mouth and replied, "...No, I can't. And put your hand on my mouth one more time and I will kick your ass."

"You'll kick my ass?" Edward replied, raising an eyebrow.

I scowled at him, "Yeah...I-I am a black belt in karate...fighting...stuff," I lied.

He raised an eyebrow at me, "Really? So am I. In fact, I taught a self-defense class for a year a while back." S_hit. That backfired._

"Oh, well good for you. Maybe we could spar sometime," I said, trying to sound as convincing as possible.

"Maybe," he stayed quiet for awhile, "or I could just teach you some self-defense...fighting...stuff," he said mockingly.

"Nah, I'm sure I don't need it. I'm already pretty good at bringing men to their knees," I replied before turning and walking toward the very back of the kitchen to the freezers, not waiting for his reply.

**----------**

Ten minutes later, everyone was sitting at one of the tables in the lunchroom eating turkey sandwiches and chips. To save food, everyone only got half a sandwich and a handful of chips. The leftovers went into the refrigerator, and we would have them for dinner tonight.

Everyone ate in comfortable silence. Alice, Jasper, Rosalie, and Emmett were having their own conversation, while I sat next to Edward and one of the Native American men.

"Okay, how about we all introduce ourselves," Alice spoke up, "we are all going to be here for awhile, so we should all get to know each other. I'll go first.

"My name is Alice Brandon. I am twenty-three years old. I am an aspiring fashion designer and a student at UW. My fiancée is Jasper Whitlock and we are getting married in four months. That's all. Your turn Jasper," she looked at Jasper expectantly. It didn't get past me that Alice spoke as if nothing was wrong in the world. I wish I had that kind of attitude.

"My name is Jasper Whitlock. I am twenty-five and was going to UW for a degree in political science. I am ex-military and served in Iraq for one tour before I was discharged after being wounded." he paused and took a deep breath, "The love of my life is Alice Brandon and we _will_ be getting married in four months."

"I am Officer Emmett McCarty. I'm twenty-seven. I have worked with the Seattle P.D for two years now and it is awesome. I love my wife Rosalie with all my heart, and even though it sucks that the world is ending, I love that I get to kill some zombies!" The men whooped and hollered, causing the women to roll their eyes.

"I'm Rosalie McCarty. Age is not important," Emmett mouthed twenty-five to everyone, causing Rose to smack his arm, "I _did_ love my husband until two seconds ago," everyone laughed, "and I was a teacher at this wonderful school before...everything happened."

"I am Edward Cullen. I am twenty-six. I love music and play the piano in my free-time. I have a black belt in karate," he looked at me and smirked, "and I am going to school to become an oncologist."

I took a deep breath before talking, "I am Bella Swan. I am twenty-four years old. I am a nurse at Seattle General Hospital. I love cooking and reading. I'm originally from Arizona, and I hate zombies," everyone laughed and agreed.

I looked to the person next to me and noticed that he was quietly talking to the Native American girl next to him. He had long black hair, as did his girlfriend. He took a deep breath before talking.

"My name is Jacob Black, and this is my girlfriend, Leah Clearwater. I'm twenty-one and she is nineteen. I'm a mechanic and she is a student at the community college in Port Angeles."

Next to speak was a blonde-haired man and a blonde-haired woman next to him.

"My name is Mike Newton and I am twenty-nine-"

"I'm Jessica Newton, his wife. I'm twenty-seven. We don't have any kids because I didn't want any yet, even though Mike always begs for them." Jessica glared at her husband, "Mike is a lawyer and I am a stay at home wife, but that's okay because while he's at work, I workout with my personal trainer, Marcus." _What. A. Bitch._,I thought.

Everyone could look at Mike and see how much he loved his wife. He seemed like a genuinely nice guy, but Jessica was a _bitch._ Her banshee like voice made me _want_ to scratch my nails on a chalkboard, and I'm sure she 'work's out' with her personal trainer.

A Native American man cleared his throat before speaking, "My name is Sam Uley, and this is my fiancé Emily," he pointed to the young woman cuddled up next to him, "I am twenty-eight, and she is twenty-five. I work with Jacob as a mechanic at a shop in Port Angeles while Emily teaches kindergarten on the reservation."

The next person looked to be only a child. He was Native American as well and he looked plain bored. "I'm Seth and I am eighteen. I am still in high school...or was. Leah is my sister," he shrugged, clearly having nothing else to say.

The young woman next to Seth spoke next. She had shoulder length brown hair and had thin glasses on her face. "Well I am Angela Weber. I am nineteen years old. I _was_ going to start going to UW next fall for teaching."

"Okay, now we all know each other." Alice clapped her hands together. A silence fell over the table as everyone finished their meals. I was about to take the last bite of my sandwich when a phone started ringing.

"Excuse me," Edward stood up quickly and walked to the far side of the room, where he answered his cell-phone. I watched as he talked into the phone, his lips moving furiously. His eyebrows were pulled together and he had wrinkles on his forehead. He began waving his arm in the air and I could just make out the words, "You need to hurry!", before he calmed down and spoke into the phone a minute longer before hanging up and putting the phone in his pocket.

"Emmett!" Edward suddenly yelled. Emmett looked over at Edward, who motioned him to go over to where Edward was standing. Emmett stood up and walked over to Edward, who began talking quickly.

"I wonder what's going on?" Rosalie questioned. I shrugged my shoulders. I watched Edward and Emmett talk for a few more minutes before they finally finished. Edward walked out of the lunchroom while Emmett jogged back over to where we were sitting.

"What's going on, Emmett?" Alice asked him as soon as he sat down.

"We've got two more stragglers coming here." He said before he stood up, "All the guys, follow me. The people are coming in a vehicle and they have a lot of supplies." All the men stood up and began leaving the cafeteria.

"What about us?" Rosalie asked.

"You're going to wait by the door and take the supplies so we can get it done quickly. Let's go."

I stood up and followed everyone out of the lunchroom. My heart was beating furiously at the prospect of people having to go outside.

"After they get here, we are blocking the front door so no one can get it or out." Emmett spoke up. We arrived in the foyer and I saw that Edward was waiting by the front doors, a gun in his right hand. In fact, all the men had a gun in their hands.

We sat in silence for a few minutes before it was interrupted by a loud rumbling noise. I could tell it was a truck and I could also tell that it was coming fast. I looked out the square window by the door and saw a diesel truck jump the curb and come onto the grass and where it stopped. Edward opened the door and ran towards the truck, as vigilante as ever.

The front door opened but I couldn't see who stepped out since all the guys around me began moving around and got in my way, blocking my view of what was going on. I moved around and tried to find a better spot and finally got a clear view again. I watched as Edward and two others were running for the front doors. One was an older brown-haired woman, who was holding two large bags in each hand. The other was an older blonde-haired man in a doctor's coat wielding a double barrel shotgun.

Emmett opened the door and the three of them ran inside, Emmett slamming the door shut and locking it behind them.

I noticed that the woman was out of breath and I walked towards her to make sure she was okay.

"Would you like a glass of water?" I asked her politely. She looked at me and smiled sweetly.

"That would be wonderful."

"Bella, go take her to get a class of water. We have more than enough people to do the job here." Emmett said to me. I told the woman to follow me and began to walk to the lunchroom when someone grabbed my arm. I turned to see Edward holding on to me.

"Take this with you." he held a handgun out to me. I took the gun reluctantly, not really knowing how to use it, "Let's go Carlisle." Edward spoke to the older man.

"Follow me," I said to the woman. We walked into the lunchroom and to the kitchen, where I poured her and I a glass of water.

"Here you go," I handed her the glass of water.

"Oh, thank you..." she looked at me expectantly.

"Bella Swan."

"Well, thank you Bella Swan." she held her hand out in front of her, "My name is Esme Cullen." I took her hand and smiled at her.

"Nice to meet you Mrs. Cullen."

"Oh no, please call me Esme."

"Okay, Esme," she smiled brightly at me.

"Well, we should probably go see if the boys need any help." I nodded my head in agreement and we walked back to the foyer to join everyone else. Maybe this wouldn't be so horrible after all.

**End Chapter Notes:** I don't know what it is with the reviewers for this story, but you all make me laugh and smile with your comments! I **LOVE** them!

Scary Story Time: My house was struck by lightning at 5 in the morning on July 20 while I was writing this chapter on my laptop. My TV stopped working. It was actually quite scary. I could feel a slight electrical current run through me around the same time the lights in the house flickered. It really scared the shit out of me, and I might have screamed a little...and I may have said a few curse words and woken up some people. I'm deathly afraid of thunderstorms...zombies? No way! A little thunder? I start crying like a baby. =p

**Please review! Let's try to get to 20 reviews!!**


	4. Chapter 4: The Night

**Chapter Notes:**

First off all, I want to say thank you to everyone who sent their well wishes to me and my family. It really did mean a lot to me.

About my health, I went to the doctor and learned that I don't have anything seriously wrong with me, but I am on medication now.

**Please don't take this as me being truly back yet.**I just woke up one day and felt like writing again and this was the story that I felt like writing, but I'm still struggling with writer's block.

I hope that this chapter is good enough for everyone because I still don't feel like I am at my best just yet.

**Enjoy!**

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The End As We Know It

Chapter 4: The Night

"This is so dumb. I don't understand why we are just sitting here," Jessica's annoying voice broke the comfortable silence I had enveloped myself in. The building was finally barricaded and night was just beginning to fall across Seattle. Everyone went their separate ways to do what they please. I went to the library to find a book to read along with a few other people, Jessica included. Three hours later, it was only me and her left in the room.

"What do you want us to do?" I asked her sarcastically, already at my breaking point with her. She had been nothing but a nuisance ever since we left the cafeteria only a few hours ago.

"I'm hungry."

"We have to conserve our food. You'll have to wait till morning to eat anything," I replied. She huffed at me before standing up and leaving the library, mumbling about finding something more fun to do.

"She's a piece of work, isn't she?" a deep voice asked from behind me, causing me to jump out of my seat. I turned around to see Jacob Black looking at me apologetically.

"Shit. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you," Jacob took a step toward me.

"It's okay. I'm just a little on edge," I said.

He chuckled loudly, "Aren't we all?"

I smiled at him before turning back around and picking up the book I had been reading, "Well, I'm going to call it a night. See you later, Jacob."

"Yeah...see ya," he said quietly but made no attempt to leave. I waved at him before walking out of the library.

As I stepped into the hallway, I realized how long I had been in the library. The sun was gone completely and the only light in the hallway was that of the dim security lights the school always left on.

Everyone had decided to sleep in the cafeteria tonight and then tomorrow we would all choose classrooms to call our...bedrooms, or houses as Alice had put it. "Just like living in a hotel!" she had exclaimed.

Walking through the hallway, I couldn't stop the chills that ran up and down my spine, or the feeling that someone was watching me. I stopped in my tracks and looked over my shoulder...nothing. I rolled my eyes at my paranoia and started walking again, only to come in contact with something hard. I let out a blood-curdling scream but was quickly silenced by a hand over my mouth.

"My God, that was loud." I heard Edward's velvet-like voice speak to me. I looked up at him and noticed that he was staring at me with a smirk firmly planted on his face.

"Shut up. You scared me." I said to him before quickly side-stepping him to start walking to the cafeteria again. I could hear and feel him right behind me, following a little to close for comfort. We walked in silence for a few seconds before we heard loud footsteps coming behind us. I immediately froze, but Edward pulled out a gun and spun around, quickly shielding me with his body.

"Oh, it's you," I heard Edward say to someone. He relaxed his stance and it was then that I noticed Jacob standing in front of Edward, glaring at him.

"I heard someone scream," Jacob said.

"Oh, that was me. Edward just scared me is all." I said, peaking over Edward's shoulder to look at Jacob. I tried to break the tension by smiling at him.

"Okay. Well, mind if I walk with you to the lunchroom?"

"Of course not," I said at the same time Edward mumbled, "yes."

I looked at him out of the corner of my eye, not understanding his hostility towards Jacob, but he just shrugged his shoulders and began walking towards the cafeteria again. _What the hell is his problem? _I thought to myself as I started following closely behind him.

**----------**

"I can't sleep," I heard someone mutter into the dark cafeteria. We were all sprawled out on the floor close to each other. The tables had been pushed against the far left wall to make space for everyone. Emmett and Jasper had found a closet full of pillows and blankets in the nurses office for us to sleep with but there wasn't enough for everyone so couples had to share with each other.

One person was standing guard every hour, the guard right now was Sam.

"Just try to or be quiet because some people _can_ and want to sleep, but can't when you keep talking every five seconds," Edward spoke into the darkness. The only light in the room was in front of the doors, which left me with a little light to see my surroundings. Sam was right next to the main light switch, so if something were to happen, he would be able to turn the light on quickly.

I looked to my left and saw that Emmett and Rose were cuddled together and sleeping soundly while Alice was as well but Jasper sitting up and staring off into space.

"I just realized something. What are us girls going to do when it's our time of the month?" I heard one of the girls say, which caused every single guy that was awake to groan, but made me actually wonder.

"I...I don't know. We will think of something though," I said to whoever asked the question.

"What about sex?" an annoying voice asked, I immediately knew it was Jessica.

"I don't know. Maybe the nurse's office has condoms or something?" I suggested, "But really though, none of the women can afford to get pregnant so just lay off the sex for now," I said into the darkness, which caused the guys to groan again.

"Oh get over it. Typical males, the world is ending and you still want to get laid." I heard another female voice.

"What? You don't want to have some end-of-the-world fun with me, Leah?" I heard Jacob joke.

"Shut-up!" Edward suddenly yelled, "Who cares about your time of the month or how you're going to fuck each other. Now everyone be quiet and GO. TO. SLEEP!"

Everyone became very quiet before a booming laugh echoed through the room, "You know Edward, if you have a lot of built up stress, you could always go find a slutty zombie outside. I'm sure she would love to have you inside of her!"

Everyone in the room burst out laughing at the double meaning of Emmett's words, including me.

"Now seriously though, shut up cause I want to go back to sleep," Emmett said after the laughter had died down.

After that, the room was met with an eerie silence. The soft snores and breathing of everyone could be heard through the room and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't sleep. My back was starting to throb from the cold, hard floor and someone sounded like a damn bear growling every time they breathed out. I let out a breath of air and slowly sat up, wincing at the cracking noise that emanated from my back.

As quietly as I could, I stood up and stepped over the sleeping bodies to head to the kitchen area to get a glass of water. I opened the door to the kitchen area and flipped the light switch to turn on the lights, having to squint at the sudden bright light that assaulted my eyes. I let my eyes adjust before walking into the kitchen. I opened up a cabinet and took out a clear, hard plastic cup.

"Can you get me one too?" a male voice asked behind me, causing me to jump and let out a pathetic whimper. I put my hand to my chest to try and quiet my breathing before looking over my shoulder to see Edward smirking at me.

I got another cup out of the cabinet before turning around and addressing him, "Do you enjoy scaring the hell out of me?"

"I'm afraid I do," he replied. I huffed and filled up both cups with water.

"Here," I handed him one of the cups.

"Thanks." he took a long drink before speaking again, "Couldn't sleep?"

"Nope," I gave a short reply before taking a sip of water.

"Me neither. I think I have too much on my mind," he said sadly.

I gave him a sympathetic smile, "Yeah, me too."

We both fell silent after our short exchange, quietly sipping on our drinks and avoiding each others gazes. That still didn't stop me from trying to steal one every now and then.

"I bet you're happy to have your parents here with you," I finally said to him to break the silence.

"Yeah, I am," he smiled sadly at me.

"You're lucky that you have them here and know that they are safe," I could feel the tears threatening to spill over, no matter how many times I blinked. I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to will myself to not cry, not in front of _him._

"Hey," I heard Edward whisper before I was suddenly enveloped in a warm embrace.

"I'm sorry," I sniffled, enjoying the warmth that radiated from Edward's body, even though I would never admit it to anyone.

"Don't be. Things suck right now but if we stick together, we will survive this," Edward softly pushed me away to look at my face but I looked down, not wanting him to see me cry. He wasn't having that though, as he put his hand under my chin and pushed my face up to look at him. I looked into his green eyes and lost myself.

"We. Will. Survive. This." he stated seriously. I couldn't speak or move, except for a short nod of my head to show that I had heard him, but I didn't _believe_ him. Apparently, he saw the disbelief in my eyes and pulled me into another embrace.

"I promise," he whispered into my ear, causing me to shiver and him to tighten his embrace. I pulled back and looked him in the eyes.

"Don't make me promises that you can't keep," I said before walking away from him and back to the cafeteria to try and get some sleep.

**----------**

One hour later, I was wide awake and in serious need of a restroom. That glass of water had finally caught up to me and I really didn't want to get up again.

For fifteen minutes I stared up at the ceiling, willing myself to ignore the feeling in my stomach, but the more I tried to ignore it, the worse it got. I finally gave up and stood up to go to the nearest restroom.

"Where are you going?" I heard Rose ask from my left.

"Bathroom," I replied quickly, not ready for talking.

"I'll go with you," she said before standing up and walking to the bathroom with me.

After taking care of our business, we stayed in the bathroom and talked about anything and everything. The conversation was going great until she had to change the subject.

"So...I think Edward likes you," she said as if it was nothing new.

"No, I'm pretty sure he hates me," I shot back.

"I'm pretty sure he doesn't, sweetie. We have all seen the way you two look at each other, or how he follows you everywhere you go...not in a stalkerish way, but in a protective way, as if he is watching over you."

"Like a...oh, I don't know...a stalker?" I replied, causing her to laugh.

"You're hopeless. Honestly, Bella. I think he likes you and I think you like him."

I didn't say anything to her. I just rolled my eyes and turned to the mirror, pretending to check out my hair.

"I'm tired," Rosalie said to me, "I'm going to go back to sleep. You coming?"

"Nah, I'll be in there in a minute," I turned to her and gave her a small smile.

After Rosalie left, I thought about what she had said to me. Sure, I was attracted to Edward. I felt...something with him, but that didn't mean anything..._did it_?

A knock at the door brought me out of my thoughts.

"You okay?" I heard a muffled voice on the other side of the door. I walked over and opened the door, revealing a worried looking Edward.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"You were in there for awhile. Just wanted to make sure you didn't fall in or something," he laughed. Ah, his beautiful laugh.

"I still can't get to sleep so I'm just kinda hanging around," I shrugged my shoulders.

"Do you...want to go for a walk or something?" he asked me slowly.

"Uh, sure." I walked out into the darkened hallway with Edward and he began leading me in the opposite direction of the cafeteria.

"We can't go outside or anything, but we can explore the building," he said slyly.

For five minutes we walked around the building, talking only when necessary.

"So are you from Seattle?" he asked me.

"I was born in a small town called Forks, but I moved to Arizona with my mom after my parents got divorced. My junior year of high school, I moved back to Forks to live with my father and when I graduated I moved to Seattle. Where are you from?"

"Chicago, originally. My father, Carlisle, got a job at a Seattle hospital when I was sixteen and we moved here." he replied sadly.

"Do you miss Chicago?" I asked him.

"Sometimes," he shrugged, "I mean, I love Washington but there really is no place like home, you know?"

I nodded glumly, "Yeah, I know."

Edward must have noticed the sadness in my voice because he stopped walking and turned to look at me.

"I'm sorry. I killed the happy mood," he raised his hand as if to comfort me, but dropped it quickly.

"It's fine. I just wonder about my mom and dad, is all," I reassured, "My dad is the police chief in Forks and his job is to go out and fight those...things. My mom lives in Florida with her husband and she said that the virus hasn't even reached them yet."

"That's good. It will give your mom time to find shelter."

"What about my dad, though," I could feel the tears rolling down my cheeks, "He's probably out there, as we speak, fighting those things."

Edward pulled me into a hug, and this time I wrapped my arms around him in return, pulling him to me and holding him as tight as I could.

"We're all going to die, Edward. No matter what we do, we're going to die," I sobbed into his shirt.

"No we aren't," he pulled back to look at my face, "We will get through this. There is a way. I won't let anything happen to you. Ever."

My sharp intake of breath at his words did not go unnoticed by him. He looked into my eyes and I could do nothing but look back. The intensity of his stare almost brought me to my knees and it was when I noticed him leaning towards me, that I snapped back to reality.

"I'm really tired now. I could probably go to sleep if I went and laid down," I said before pulling away from Edward and walking back to the cafeteria.

If zombies don't kill me first, Edward Cullen sure as hell will.

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**Chapter Notes: **Please review this chapter for me. Everyone sending their well wishes to me really did help me get some of my inspiration back and I really want to know if this chapter lived up to your expectations.

**I do not know when I will be posting the next chapter. Hopefully it will be soon!!**

Again, thank you to everyone that sent their well wishes to me and my family during the difficult time we were and still are going through. It means a lot.

**Review!**


	5. Chapter 5: Bitten

**Chapter Notes:**

First and foremost, I want to apologize to everyone that reviewed and didn't get a response back from me. My internet connection has sucked lately, but I will try to reply to everyone this time!

For some reason, this is the only story of mine that I am able to write at the moment. I don't know why but it just is.

**I have a poll on my page that I would appreciate you voting for. It's not a life or death situation but... ;-p**

Thank you to everyone that read and reviewed the last chapter.

To Zombie's Run This Town, I had an epic fail. I told you I would tell people about your podcast in my last chapter...and I didn't. So here it is! It's a really cool podcast that rec's fics and talks about anything going on in the Twilight Universe! I love it! Check it out!

**Adrenalinesmiles(dot)blogspot(dot)com**

Some serious drama will be starting in this chapter.

**Enjoy!**

The End As We Know It

Chapter 5: Bitten

The night passed quickly after I had laid back down. I had immediately fallen asleep as soon as had I laid down on the hard floor, not letting myself think about what had happened between me and Edward in _that_ hallway.

It seemed as if I had only slept for a few minutes when I was woken up by the feeling of someone staring at me. I slowly opened my eyes to find Alice and Rose looking at me while trying to hold back laughs. I instinctively reach up and wiped at my mouth, thinking that I had drooled in my sleep. This caused the girls to finally burst out laughing, and me to get annoyed.

"WHAT?!" I yelled at them, sitting up quickly and wincing in pain when my back popped.

"Nothing, nothing at all," Rose said through her giggles.

"Is there something on my face?"

"No," Alice said while laughing.

"Maybe you should go ask _your_ Edward," Rose said, finally getting her laughing under control.

"_My_ Edward?" I asked. This only caused the girls to nod and go into another fit of giggles.

"Yeah, apparently _your_ Edward is _very_ good with his hands," Alice laughed.

"I don't know what you're-" I paused, realizing what they were talking about.

"Oh god! I was talking in my sleep, wasn't I?"

"Just a little," I heard a female voice say from behind me. I looked at Alice and Rose to see that they were practically rolling on the floor laughing now. I turned around and came face to face with Edward's mother, Esme. I could feel the heat crawling up my face.

"Esme! Did you sleep well?" I asked, trying to divert the conversation.

"I did thank you, but not as good as you apparently," she said, as though we weren't having the most embarrassing conversation in the world.

"Yeah...I was dreaming about a different...Edward," I replied.

"A different Edward?" Esme raised an eyebrow, obviously not believing me.

"Mmhmm," I nodded my head at her, "I have to pee," I said quickly before jumping up and running towards the bathroom.

I was in the bathroom for fifteen minutes, trying and failing to tame my hair...and not think about Edward. I finally gave up and walked back into the cafeteria, fully planning on avoiding Alice, Rose, and Esme but found that I didn't have to, the cafeteria was deserted. I was about to walk out and go to the library when I heard shouting through the cafeteria doors.

"This is bullshit! I don't see what the big deal is anyway," I heard Jessica's annoying voice speak from the other side of the cafeteria doors.

"There is something wrong with your stomach. Let me see it!" I heard Mike say.

"Nothing is wrong baby, okay? I just scraped it while we were running out of the house the other day, I swear. You believe me don't you?"

"Of course I believe you! I just want to make sure you aren't hurt. I'm sorry," Mike apologized. That man was whipped. They continued to talk and even though I knew I shouldn't, I continued to listen.

"You really shouldn't eavesdrop," a voice said from behind me causing me to jump. I turned around and wasn't surprised to see Edward with that damn smirk on his face.

"You really need to quit sneaking up on me!" I glared at him before turning back around to ignore him. I thought he would leave me alone, but instead, he just walked up beside me.

"So what are we listening to?"

"Jessica and Mike were arguing about some scrape on her stomach, nothing big," I replied. I really thought it was nothing, but by the look on Edward's face, he thought otherwise as I was suddenly pushed backwards when he swung the doors open and began shouting orders.

"Let me see your stomach!" he yelled at Jessica, causing her and Mike to both let out girlish screams.

"Don't yell at my wife!" Mike yelled back, trying to look strong but failing miserably, causing Edward to glare in his direction.

"Bella overheard your conversation. You have some sort of injury on your stomach and I want to see it," Edward lowered his voice to a calm level but he still sounded threatening.

"It's nothing. I promise," Jessica rolled her eyes.

"If it is nothing, I don't see why you can't show us," Edward countered.

"Can I show my husband in the bathroom? I really don't want to raise my shirt for you!" Jessica argued.

Edward seemed to think it over before replying, "Fine, just hurry it up and I want you," he pointed at Mike, "to tell me what it looks like."

Mike and Jessica walked past Edward and I as they headed towards the bathroom. I honestly didn't see what the big deal was with Jessica having a scratch on her stomach and I told Edward this.

"It could be a bite or something. If she was bitten, she _will_ become one of those things and it could fuck us up. I'm not going to risk it," he said as he started to walk away.

"What if she was bitten?" I asked him, causing him to suddenly stop.

Keeping his back to me, he replied, "We kill her."

I felt my eyes grow wide and I ran towards him.

"What do you mean "We kill her"?! She's a human being, we can't kill her!" I whispered loudly so no one else would hear.

"Fine. I'll kill her," he shrugged as if it was nothing.

"How can you talk so casually about taking a human life?" I asked him.

"Simple. We wait till she is no longer human," he said, before walking away again, but I wasn't going to let up.

"Don't you think you're overreacting? I mean, she may not even have a bite!"

"Then why was she acting so odd when I asked to see?"

"Probably because she didn't want to lift her shirt for you!" I argued. He gave me a disbelieving look.

"Really, Bella?" He said, walking away from me, and this time I let him go.

**----------**

I burst through the library doors and walked straight ahead, noticing that Alice and Rose were sitting at a table in the middle of the room, staring at me in surprise.

"I swear that man is purposely trying to confuse and annoy me!" It all came out in a single rush of breath.

Alice and Rose continued to stare at me. There was amusement and confusion in their faces.

"I take it you're talking about Edward?" Rosalie finally asked. I nodded my head silently. "What did he do?"

"I don't know...everything! I mean, first he follows me everywhere, flirts with me...and then last night when he tried to kiss me and god I _wanted _him too!"

"Maybe you should have let him," Alice said while giggling.

I continued as if I hadn't heard her, "And then just now...h-he argued with me about killing Jessica and-"

"Wait, WHAT?!" Both girls yelled in unison.

_Stupid! _I chastised myself.

"U-um...dammit. Well, Jessica may...and I say _may_, have been...um...bitten," I said quietly. I watched the girls faces and noticed their eyes widen in shock and fear.

"Bitten?" Rosalie asked. I nodded my head.

"What is going to happen?" Alice asked.

"I don't know."

Just then, Edward walked in the room and noticed us gathered around the table.

"I've been looking for you," he said to me.

"Okay...?"

"I just thought I would let you know that I was right about Jessica," he said before turning and walking out of the library, leaving me dumbfounded and, even though I hated to admit it, slightly sad for Jessica.

"Oh yeah," he popped his head in through the door, "group meeting in the cafeteria. Now."

**----------**

I sat in the cafeteria surrounded by everyone except for Mike, Jessica, and Edward. I silently picked at my nails, wondering to myself what was going to happen.

Everyone around me, except for Alice and Rosalie, had no idea that one of our own was becoming one of _them_. Edward had told us to keep quiet so he could calmly explain to everyone what was going on since he thought that if I were to explain it, everyone would go into a panic.

"_You'll freak out explaining it, causing everyone else to freak out. The last thing we need is for everyone to panic."_ He had explained to Alice, Rosalie, and I as we walked to the cafeteria only minutes before.

Just then, the cafeteria doors opened, revealing a serious looking Edward, and a sad looking Mike and Jessica.

Everyone turned towards them as they came in.

Mike and Jessica took a seat at the table, while Edward stood at the front of the table.

"I called this meeting because something serious has come to my attention and I believe that everyone has the right to know," Edward paused at looked at us, while most of the table looked at him in confusion.

"What is it?" Jacob asked.

"Jessica has been bitten by one of the infected." A few people gasped, while others still looked confused.

"What do you mean?" Angela asked.

"It means that Jessica is going to become one of them." I said quietly with my head down. I could hear the collective gasps around the table.

"How long does she have?" Sam asked Edward.

"It depends on the extent of the bite. It's only a small bite, meaning it could take days, a week at most." Everyone around me began murmuring.

"We need to get rid of her!" Jacob yelled loudly, causing Jessica to burst into tears.

"She is still a human being!" I screamed at him. He looked up at me, his face showed shock but quickly turned into anger.

"What then? You just want us to sit here and let her turn us into zombies?! Fucking great! This is just what we needed, isn't it?"

"Quiet." Carlisle spoke up in an authoritative, but calm tone. Everyone became quiet and turned to look at him. "Is there anything I can do? I have medicine that might-"

"Nothing will work. When we were in Burien the other day, me and a doctor tried everything we could to save a man that had been bitten. I even helped with the amputation of his left leg and it didn't help," Sam interrupted.

"I have a plan. If you guys would let me talk," Edward said, annoyed with the interruptions. We all looked at him.

"I'm not going to take a human life. Jessica, Mike, and I have talked about this and we came to the decision that we will kill her when she becomes one of the them. Her health is going to deteriorate and we will know when the change is about to happen." Edward finished, the whole room was eerily silent as we took in what Edward was saying.

In just a few days, one of us would die.

**Chapter Notes: So thank you for reading this chapter!**

**Now, I have something to ask. I absolutely suck at making banners...believe me I've tried! So I wanted to ask if there was anyone out there willing to make a banner for this story. Send me a private message if you're interested.**

**The maker of the banner I choose will get to rec' anything from a podcast to a story, even if it's yours and will get to add one of their ideas to an upcoming chapter of this story!**

**I'm loving the reviews so keep them coming!**


	6. Chapter 6: Mike's Lament

**I do not own Twilight or _The Last Man _by Mary Shelley.**

**Chapter Notes:**

A few of my friends have asked me if this story will have a happy ending. I'm not going to give anything away because 1) I could always change my mind last second on how I want the story to end and 2) if you've read the prequel, you wouldn't be asking me that question (hint-hint).

**At the request of a reviewer, I have decided to do an outtake in Mike's POV of the last chapter and possibly this chapter. This story is only told in Bella's POV but throughout the story, I will do a outtake in someone else's POV if it is requested!**

**Buckle up, you're in for a bumpy ride!**

The End As We Know It

Chapter 6: Mike's Lament

Two days. That's how long it had been since the meeting in the cafeteria. Things had drastically changed in just two days. Most of the group was avoiding Jessica like a plague. I wasn't one of them. Even though I wasn't very fond of Jessica, I still felt horrible that she was going through this.

But now, two days later, it was evident that Jessica was dying. Her once supple cheeks were now hollowed. Dark circles were very prominent under her once simple blue eyes. She had burnt-orange rings that were beginning to circle her now cloudy pupils.

Last night, she began coughing up blood, causing everyone around her to scramble away...except for Mike, who stayed by her side and held her hair as she continued to vomit.

Everywhere she went, one of the men were always following closely behind her with a pistol in their hand, like a vulture stalking its prey.

When I woke up today, it was to Mike checking his wife's pulse. Even though he knew the dangers of being so close to her, he slept by her side, holding her tightly to him. After he confirmed she was still alive, he stood up and went to the bathroom, but not before glancing up at me. The bags under his eyes were almost as dark as his wife's. This whole thing was affecting him more than any of us, and even though I had barely talked to Mike since being here, I stood up and followed him.

"What do you want?" He asked when we were in the hallway. He sounded tired and defeated.

"I just wanted to make sure you were okay. You've been very quiet these last two days," I said sadly.

"I'm fine. I just want to spend my time with my wife. Is there something wrong with that?"

"Of course not. I just want you to know that you can talk to us. I'm sure this is a hard time for you and I am not even going to pretend to know what you are going through. I'm here if you need to talk though." I put my hand on his shoulder as a sign of comfort.

"I don't need to talk to anyone. I am just fine on my own," he said before walking into the men's bathroom and leaving me in the hallway.

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"He's in denial," Rose said to me, taking a bite out of her breakfast burrito. I had just spent the last thirty minutes telling Rose and Alice about the conversation between Mike and I.

"I agree." Alice spoke from beside me, "I know that if I was turning into a flesh-eating zombie, Jasper would defend me until I died. Then he would let me bite him and we would become zombies together. Right, babe." Alice said jokingly, she then nudged Jasper in the side with her elbow to get his attention. He seemed to be having a deep conversation with Edward and Emmett and I doubt he had heard a word that Alice had just said.

"Jasper, did you hear what I said?" Alice said loudly. He looked over at her and nodded furiously.

"Whatever you say, sweetheart." He smiled at her before turning his attention back to the men, "Anyways, the gun locked up right when I was about to fire the first shot and-" I tuned out the rest of the conversation, not really interested in man-talk.

"You do realize that he didn't hear a word you said, right?" I asked Alice.

"Yep. That's how I get what I want. I always ask him important things when he is occupied with something else," she said nonchalantly before bursting into a fit of giggles.

"You're horrible." I laughed lightly, "I'm going to head to the library. I'll talk to you two later." I said while standing up. They said their goodbyes and I walked into the hallway.

It was very dark as I walked to the library. Only slivers of light were showing through the boarded up windows and it gave me just enough light to see where I was going.

When I made it to the library, I immediately went to the section holding classic literature. I looked at each and every book on the shelf and a book entitled "The Last Man" by Mary Shelley caught my eye. I reached out and pulled the book off of the shell. It was worn with age, its pages yellowed and dusty. I opened up the cover and saw that a little piece of paper with names and dates was tucked into a pocket. I pulled out the piece of paper and noted that the book hadn't been checked out in over three years. I walked over to the nearest table and sat down, turning a few pages until I got to the title page.

Mary Shelley was the author that wrote _Frankenstein_. I had never read the book since horror and suspense novels weren't really my cup of tea, but I had of course _heard _of it. I turned the next few pages until I found chapter 1. I got myself comfortable and began to read.

As I read the book, I noticed the slight similarities to what we were going through now. The story tells of a futuristic Earth, year 2092 to be exact, that is being taken over by a plague. A man, Lionel, fights to survive the plague and find more survivors.

I don't know how long I sat in the library and read the book, but as I neared the end, I was engrossed by it.

I read as Lionel and a few survivors tried to travel to Switzerland for safety. I read, becoming teary-eyed, as the last survivors perished leaving Lionel as the last man on Earth. After I finished the book, I stood up and put it back in its rightful place. The story was still playing through my mind. Even though the main character survived, there was no happy ending and that bothered me to no end.

Was this how it would end for us? After all, we can run and hide all we want, but this is still the end of the world.

I laid my head in my hands and let my thoughts consume me, tears filling my eyes and spilling over.

"Bella?" I heard Edward say softly. I slowly raised my head and looked into his beautiful green eyes. I could feel the wetness on my cheeks and I quickly wiped away the tears, not wanting him to see me like this.

"Are you okay?" He asked, tentatively taking a step toward me. I said nothing, just nodding my head.

I don't know if it was in an effort to seek some sort of comfort or something else entirely, but I stood from the chair and walked into Edward's body, wrapping my arms around his waist tightly. I inhaled deeply, taking in his scent and it slightly calmed me.

His body tensed slightly before completely relaxing and it was only seconds later that I felt his arms envelope me. He buried his face in the crook of my neck as I did the same to his.

"We're not going to get out of this," I mumbled into his neck. He pulled back and looked into my eyes. He placed his hands on my cheeks and put his forehead to mine.

"We will." he said quietly, running his hands soothingly across my cheeks, "We just have to make the most of what we have right now."

"That's just it," I pulled back minutely, "we have nothing, absolutely nothing left in this world." I tried to pull away completely from him but he held me tightly.

"That's not true," he crooned softly, putting his forehead to mine again.

"What do you mean?" I closed my eyes, breathing in his calming scent.

"You have me," my hearts stuttered at his words and I looked into his eyes.

"You have me," he repeated before kissing the corner of my mouth.

"And...I have you," he whispered so quietly that I barely heard him. I fisted my hands into his shirt and leaned forward slightly, making our lips only centimeters apart. I closed my eyes and licked my lips, elated and scared at the prospect of kissing him. I began to go through the positives and negatives of kissing Edward. I hadn't even gotten to number one when I felt his lips press gently to mine.

I pulled him to me as tight as I could and ran my hands up his back, holding on to him for dear life. I opened my lips and took his bottom one in between mine, sucking on it gently. So many emotions were running through me that I quickly became over-whelmed and began to slowly pull away. I let out a soft sigh and gently pecked his lips once more, reveling in the feeling of being in his arms.

Suddenly, high pitched screams echoed through the hallway on the other side of the door before it suddenly burst open revealing a frantic Alice. I tried to pull away from Edward but he held me tightly.

For a split second, Alice looked shocked at our embrace and I was waiting for her to begin chewing me out or squealing in delight. Instead I heard the three words I had been dreading.

"Jessica is dead."

----------

I walked into the cafeteria, gasping at what I saw. Jessica was lying in the middle of the cafeteria with Mike holding on to her lifeless body. Emmett and Jasper were trying with all their might to pull him off of her. It was obvious that she was walking when she fell to the ground.

Emmett finally got Mike away from Jessica and Edward walked up to the body, his gun trained on the head. I wanted to scream at him for what he was going to do but I had to remind myself that this wasn't Jessica anymore.

"Clear all of the women out of here. I need, at most, two other men to stay with me...just in case," Edward said loudly.

"I'll stay," Emmett said from behind me, causing Rosalie to sob loudly.

"Me too," came a quiet voice. I turned and looked at Mike, who was staring at his wife's body.

Edward turned to all of us and began speaking in a raised voice, "We don't have much time. Everyone who doesn't need to be here, get out no-" A high pitched screech echoed through the room.

Jessica charged towards Edward and he barely had a second to raise his gun before he was tackled to the ground, his gun sliding away from him and across the floor. I watched, dumbfounded as Edward held off the zombie, using his strength to try and get the upper hand. I could hear the screams of my friends as we all watched as Jessica pinned Edward down but he still had a strong hold on her and wasn't letting up.

I saw Emmett pull a gun from a holster on his side and raise it to shoot the zombie but before he could shoot at her, a different shot rang through the air and I watched as a bullet tore through Jessica's head and she fell on top of Edward. The sound of the gunshot still echoed through the room and I had to put my hands over my ears to muffle the sound.

I turned to my right to see who shot Jessica and saw a pitiful sight before me. Mike was holding a pistol in his shaking hands. His eyes were closed tightly and his grip on the gun was not letting up. I wanted to walk over and comfort him but knew in my heart that it wouldn't be for the best. He would be better left alone at the moment.

I heard Alice and Rose cry out, putting me back in the present. I suddenly remembered that Edward had been tackled by Jessica. I looked over at him and saw that his entire upper half was completely covered in blood. The part that worried me the most was that I couldn't tell if it was his or Jessica's.

I ran towards him and jumped into his arms, not caring that he was covered in blood.

"Are you okay?" I asked as I pulled away and began checking him for bite marks.

"Yeah. She didn't even get me," he said with a smirk. I wasn't sure if I wanted to kiss him or slap him.

"You're shirt is all bloody now," he smirked again.

"At least it's just my shirt." I retorted, "You're face has blood dripping off of it."

He just chuckled and reached up to touch my cheek with his bloody hand.

"Oh no you don't!" I slapped his hand away.

Everyone had now gathered around Edward, asking if he was okay. When all of the men began to talk about what to do with Jessica's body, I noticed that Mike was missing. Just as I was about to ask where he was, I heard a gunshot ring through the air.

**End Notes: **Okay, this chapter was a doozy for me. I kept changing my mind on how I wanted to end the chapter. **I was actually going to end it with leaving Edward's fate in limbo but I didn't want to be that mean.**

**- Please Review-**


	7. Chapter 7: Coming Undone

**Chapter Notes:** The general consensus of the last chapter was that everyone felt bad for Mike but could care less for Jessica. I find that morbidly humorous.

Last chapter ended on a sad note and I am now working on an outtake in Mike's POV.

The End As We Know It

_**Previously: **Everyone had now gathered around Edward, asking if he was okay. When all of the men began to talk about what to do with Jessica's body, I noticed that Mike was missing. Just as I was about to ask where he was, I heard a gunshot ring through the air._

Chapter 7: Coming Undone

The talking immediately ceased and everyone turned their heads to the sound of the gunshot. A sick feeling was beginning to form in the pit of my stomach and I wrapped my arms around my waist.

Edward immediately took off running towards the sound and Jasper and Sam were right behind him with their guns drawn. I watched as they opened the doors to the hallway and disappeared from my sight.

"It was Mike," I whispered to myself. I heard a loud gasp next to me and turned to see Alice's gray eyes staring back at me in shock.

"You think he...?" Alice's voice drifted off as she shook her head in disbelief. I slowly nodded my head at her and she put her right hand over her mouth.

"I could have stopped him, too. I thought about going over to him but I decided against it. I thought he would want to be left alone," I whispered to her. She stepped over to me and put her hand on my arm.

"You had no way of knowing he would have done something like this," she reassured me, "besides, we don't even know if he did do..._that_." I shook my head at her. I knew that he had done it. The dead look in his eyes right after he had killed Jessica should have been a warning that this would have happened.

For five minutes, we all sat around the cafeteria and impatiently waited for the three men to return. When they finally walked through the doors, the look on their faces confirmed my suspicions. I bowed my head and Alice put a comforting hand on my back.

"What was it?" Carlisle asked his son after a long period of silence.

"Mike...h-he killed himself," Edward spoke quietly. I looked up at Edward and what I saw broke my heart. His once playful green eyes had darkened with sorrow. He almost seemed lost and it somewhat confused me. Why would he choose now to act this way? Was all of this finally getting to him too?

"Selfish bastard!" Jacob suddenly yelled, his voice echoing through the room. I quickly turned my head to glare at him and noticed that everyone else had their eyes on him as well.

"What are you talking about?!" I said through clenched teeth.

"We may very well be some of the last humans on Earth and he goes and blows his fucking brains out! Not to mention he wasted needed bullets."

"Are you fucking kidding me?" I screamed at him, "Everyone around us is dying and you have the audacity to call him selfish?! He wasn't selfish, Jacob. He was feeling hopeless. What did you want him to do? Walk around as if his wife wasn't dead? Smile as if everything was okay? Newsflash, Jacob! Everything is not okay!" I took a step toward him, my hand twitching at my side. I wanted nothing more in that moment than to smack him across the face.

"No shit, sherlock!" He yelled at me, "We are locked in a school surrounded by fucking zombies. Not to mention the fact that dumb-fuck and his wife almost got us killed by hiding the fact that she was bitten!"

"She was scared."

"No, she was stupid. Do you honestly think she would have told anyone that she was bitten if Mike hadn't found out about it?"

I lowered my head and shook it slowly.

"Exactly. She would have kept her mouth shut and by the time we realized something was wrong, half of us would be bitten or dead. She was a whore anyways."

"How could you...how could you say that?" I asked quietly.

"It's true, Bella. She admitted to me and Angela that she had cheated on Mike a lot," Leah spoke from behind Jake. I noticed that Angela was nodding her head in agreement with what she was saying.

"What does her cheating on Mike have to do with her keeping the bite a secret? You all avoided her when she was dying. You didn't see the sadness in her eyes because none of you even gave her a chance. You immediately shunned her when you found out she was infected"

"I honestly don't understand why you acted all nice with her. She was just a diseased bitch," Leah said loudly.

My face was red with anger and I willed myself to not cry in front of everyone. I needed to come off as strong right now.

"Bella," Esme suddenly whispered into my ear, "come with me. You need to calm down." She gently tugged on my arm and I willingly followed her as she led us to the gym.

I had not stepped foot into the gym since arriving at the school and I had to ask myself why we were staying in the cafeteria when the gym was so much roomier. The windows were high up, meaning sunlight could filter through them and light up the whole gym without the worry of anything getting in. This would be the perfect place to stay during the day time. I sat down at the bottom of the bleachers and remained silent.

It was Esme that broke the silence first, "Have you ever heard the expression, 'There's never an atheist in a foxhole?'"

I wasn't sure where she was going with this, "Um, yes."

"We are never going to get out of this if we don't have some sort of faith to get by with." I raised an eyebrow at her, "I'm not asking you to be a religious person, Bella. I'm just telling you to have some faith that we are going to get out of here. Fight for something. It doesn't have to be God or anything. It could be your family or some friends. Just fight. Don't give up like Mike did."

"How can you have faith when the world is ending?" I asked quietly.

"The answer to that is simple for me. I have my husband, and my son. And if I lose them, I will still keep fighting until the very end...for them."

I looked at her in disbelief. We had only been here for a few days and I already felt as if I was going insane. She made everything sound so simple, so easy. Did she not see that I didn't have my family with me?

"But you have them near you. You see them and know that they are safe. My mom and dad are out there with those _things_ and I don't even know if they are still alive. I can honestly understand why Mike did what he did."

"How can you say something like that, Bella? You would really take the cowards way out?" I opened my mouth to speak but nothing came out. I'd like to think that I wouldn't commit suicide, but I had never been in a position where I had genuinely thought about it. Esme must have sensed my hesitation since she continued speaking without waiting for an answer.

"My mother committed suicide when I was twelve years old, you know. To this day, no one knows why she did it." I started to apologize but she stopped me again, "Please don't say 'I'm sorry'. I heard it constantly as a child and it never helped me. For so long, I felt that it was my fault that she had taken her life. My father...he was never the same after that.

"Suicide is a selfish act, Bella. It is the easy way out and it hurts more than just yourself. We may not have known Mike well enough to grieve in a way his family would, but his suicide will effect us in some way."

"Esme...I don't know what to say," I was speechless. Tears were streaking down my face and I made no move to stop them.

"Just say that you will fight. Say that you will stand with us when things get tough. And whether you realize it or not, we need you here. Promise me you will hang in there, Bella."

She took me into her arms and held me as I broke down. It felt so comforting, as if my own mother had embraced me and I completely took advantage of the feeling.

"I promise."

I stayed in her arms for a few minutes and when I finally felt calm enough, I pulled away. As I went to lean back I caught a whiff of my hair and scrunched up my nose. Esme noticed.

"What's wrong?" She asked worriedly.

"I stink."

She chuckled, "I think it is time for me to do some laundry and for everyone to hit the showers." She nodded her head towards where the locker rooms were located.

"How did we forget about the showers in the locker rooms?"

"I have no idea, but you and the others should really use them soon," she said before laughing loudly and I joined right in with her.

---------------

**End Notes: **I know this chapter is shorter than most but my mind has been working against me lately so I haven't been able to write much.

So you get to look into Esme's past a little bit. I thought about having her past include her attempting suicide but I decided against it, and had her mother commit suicide instead.

If Bella is coming off as a little crazy, it is intentional. I wanted to make her have this internal battle with herself. I know that if I was in her position, I would go insane.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

**Please Review!**


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